Just Like the First Time
by Shadowsnatcher7
Summary: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue... Ryan attempts to let go of the past and his one true love as he walks her down the wedding aisle. Takes place approximately 10 years after HSM 2. Oneshot.


_Disclaimer: I obviously don't own High School Musical or HSM2. As much as I wish... :) Because then Ryan and Gabriella would totally get together! _

**Just Like the First Time**

Somehow, the mismatched Wildcats gang from East High had managed to stay together. Somehow, they had joined separate worlds into one. Somehow, the strings of their lives had crossed and become tied together in a jumbled knot that was impossible to detangle. Today, they came together to celebrate not only a union between two lovers, but loyalty between friends as well.

Ryan Evans stood quietly in the midst of all the chaos surrounding him as final preparations were being made and strangers bustled around him, hardly taking notice of his elegiac expression.

Tugging nervously at his tie, he cleared his throat and put his hand on the knob of the church door, making a last attempt to enter. Sighing, he pulled his hand back once again. _Maybe just a few more minutes, _he thought to himself. A cool breeze languidly rustled through his light blond hair and he glanced around to take in the scenery around him. Spring had truly emerged from its winter recluse and the sun shined brightly for the occasion. The church, as well as its grounds were astounding, with a lake off to the side and an old dirt path crawling along side of it. In fact, the church resembled an old English castle more than a place of worship, but it was beautiful nevertheless. He breathed in the scent of freshly cut grass and lilacs and exhaled, murmuring a quick prayer. It had been several months since he had actually attended church, but Ryan made a quick promise to return faithfully every Sunday if God would just see him through this day.

Ryan nearly laughed out loud at the pathetic state he was in. That's what he was supposed to do anyway. Just paste on a cheerful grin and bear it. And that's what he had always done—for nearly his entire life so far. His thoughts were broken when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"God, Ryan, just open the door," Sharpay's demanding voice commanded.

He turned around and peered into his sister's face, whose expression immediately changed from exasperation to sorrowful pity and quickly back to exasperation again.

"Well, no use crying over spilled milk—or whatever that expression is," she said, clearly irritated. But the grip that she now had on his hand communicated other words that she didn't need to voice aloud: _I'm here for you. _

For perhaps the first time in her life, Sharpay opened the door for her brother, and still clutching his hand in her own, led him from the chilly atmosphere where flowers were still being arranged, into the tranquil and warm comfort of the church where only a few guests had yet arrived.

Her soft fingers still entwined with his, Ryan allowed Sharpay to direct him to a hallway on their right, instead of heading directly toward the pews, finally ending up at a door from which he could hear the gleeful laughter of females within. Sharpay faced her brother, and without another word, reached up to hug him in a rare show of affection.

"I'm sorry," she whispered heavily into his ear.

Ryan squeezed her back to convey his thanks, and just as quickly as she had hugged him, she released him again and proceeded to knock on the door, a lively smile returning to her lips.

A tearful Taylor Danforth opened the door and shrieked happily at the sight of the Evans twins.

"Oh my God! I'm so glad you're finally here!" she cried, waving her hands ecstatically.

Sharpay smirked. "Well, duh. You can't start this wedding without me," she replied as she made her way into the room. Taylor and Ryan exchanged amused glances before she ushered him in as well.

"Typical Sharpay. Fashionably late and the center of attention," he grinned as he pecked her on the cheek and followed her inside.

However, the sight before him made his breath catch and he swallowed hard in an attempt to calm himself. He hadn't been prepared for this at all. Opening his mouth, he made an effort to speak, but no words fell from his lips. Ryan was awestruck. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and was reminded with a jolt of the possession that he had stuck in there earlier.

Taylor, sensing his anxiety, took charge of the situation. "Ladies, I think our bouquets are ready, so why don't we head out and grab them?"

The bridesmaids, chattering excitedly, left the room dutifully following Taylor, whose arm was linked with Sharpay's.

"Gosh, Taylor, aren't you glad that Gabriella picked pink dresses? Can you imagine if she had picked some horrid color like orange? I wouldn't have accepted the invitation." Taylor laughed and shut the door, sending Ryan an understanding look. He nodded his appreciation in return and directed his attention to the bride sitting in front of him.

Of course, it wasn't his bride. But he barely had time to even think that because Gabriella Montez—soon to be Mrs. Troy Bolton—had leapt into his arms with delight.

"Ryan! Can you believe it? Today is the day. Oh my gosh, I'm going crazy. I can't think straight, my hair is a mess, they're still decorating the church, the food—"

"Gabriella, you look gorgeous," he said simply, a smile creeping onto his lips as he stepped back to admire her fully.

And she really did look stunning. Her white wedding gown, which created a warm contrast to her tanned skin, draped down the floor, allowing a trail behind her. Her shoulder length hair was rolled into light curls, framing her small face. She was the picture on the bridal magazine that every woman desired to be. She was the brightest star in the midnight sky. To him, she looked flawless.

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself," she beamed, her eyes shining excitedly.

"And, Gabriella?" he added, "Don't worry about anything. The decorations are practically done, and you can be sure that Taylor has everything under control. If she doesn't get it done, you can be sure that my sister will. If anybody, _I_ should know," he paused to chuckle.

"In fact, I got a call from Zeke before I came here. He's just finished preparing the food for the reception and he's on his way," Ryan continued.

Gabriella nodded appreciatively and returned to sitting on her chair that was positioned in front of a vanity. Clearly, the small room was designed for the bride and her companions. Makeup and various other accessories lay on top of it, scattered about as if someone had been searching frantically for something. She looked into the mirror and her eyes connected with Ryan's, who was now standing behind her with his hands on the back of her chair.

She broke the silence, saying softly, "I wish Daddy were here to see me…. But there's no one else on this earth right now that I'd rather have walk me down the aisle than you, Ryan. Thank you so much for doing this for me."

"Hey, it's no problem," Ryan said as he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug. He had never met Gabriella's father, as he had died before she had even moved to East High, but he knew that she missed him dearly.

"You know what? You smell like something familiar…." he deliberated, breathing in her fresh, clean scent.

Gabriella giggled this time, and turned around to face him. "Oh, you mean Sharpay's perfume."

She laughed louder after taking a look at his confused face, and continued, "Come on, Ryan. You should know this: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

Examining her features again, he noticed the blue stud earrings that glittered on her ears. Obviously, the dress was new.

"Okay, so my sister's perfume," he recited, "Can't believe that she, of all people, would lend you anything. Your blue earrings… the new dress. What's old?"

Instead of answering his question, Gabriella opened the drawers and took out three necklaces. Silently she laid them out on her vanity, clearing the make-up to the side and sat staring at them, pondering in the stillness. Ryan noticed the sadness return to her eyes, and sat helplessly looking at the necklaces as well.

Gesturing towards the first necklace, she spoke again with a solemn voice, "This one was my grandmother's—the one that she wore to her wedding. The one in the middle was my aunt's, which I inherited after she passed away. My uncle gave me the third one for my sixteenth birthday. But none of them seem quite right…."

She sighed, her eyes connecting with his in the mirror again. She fumbled with each of the necklaces, holding them against herself and frowning each time. Not wanting to see her dainty features scrunched up in unhappiness, Ryan fingered with something in his own pocket, and ignored his sinking heart as he took it out and presented it to Gabriella.

"How about this one, Gabi?" he asked delicately.

She gasped softly when he held his hand out to her, a diamond necklace of the initial "T" lying in his palm.

"Ryan, how—what? I don't understand…it was so long ago. How did you find this?" she looked on the verge of tears now, but he was relieved to see that she was pleased.

He waited to answer her question as she turned to face the mirror and he carefully clasped the necklace on her neck. She daintily reached to feel it, her joyful expression growing with each passing second.

"This is absolutely perfect. This is the one… I can't believe you had this," she looked questioningly at Ryan, her eyebrows raised slightly, though she was still smiling.

He paced around the tiny room for a second, before speaking. "Look, I don't want to conjure up bad memories on the happiest day of your life…But on one of the few occasions back in college when you thought that you and Troy were over, you threw this necklace into the woods behind my house. And I happened to find it one day, not long afterwards."

Pausing for a moment, he glimpsed over at her to check if she was angry. But she didn't interrupt him or look upset, so he continued quietly, "And I was going to give it back to you, but you were still fighting with Troy and I didn't want to make things worse. I left it in my room to return when you guys weren't fighting, but I eventually forgot about it. I found it right before you guys told me you were engaged."

Ryan wanted to stop telling the story right there. He didn't want recount the sadness he had felt then, nor did he think he had the energy to hide his feelings at the moment. But he had to do this. He had to do it for her.

"So then I decided I would give this to you on the day I knew that you and Troy would be forever. Which happens to be today," he concluded, smiling sadly.

Gabriella hadn't spoken a word, so he quickly added on to fill the silence.

"I thought about giving it to Troy, so _he _could give it back to you, but I thought maybe if _I_ gave it back, it would…" he began to explain, but trailed off dejectedly.

"Be just like the first time," she finished for him.

And then memories of the fateful summer many years ago at Lava Springs swirled in his head. Memories of what could have been and what was lost. Memories of mending another's relationship and his own broken heart.

_"Gabi, I found this—I thought it might belong to you," he said, hurriedly pressing it into her hands, only minutes before it was her turn to sing at the Lava Springs talent show, "You shouldn't go onstage without it." _

_Gabriella looked down to find the "T" initial necklace Troy had given her at the start of the summer. But before she could say her thanks, not just for the jewelry, but for everything, Ryan had already walked away. _

The nostalgia became too much for him, and he turned away from Gabriella, so that she would not detect his pain. But his movements did not go unseen and she approached him timidly. "Ry," she whispered, calling him the nickname he usually only heard from his sister, "Is everything alright?"

Plastering a goofy grin on his face, he faced her again and pulled her into a tight hug. "It's just that….my baby's all gone and grown up on me," he said dramatically in a deep southern accent, patting her on the back. He released her and feigned wiping tears from his eyes.

She laughed heartily, and pushed him playfully on his shoulder, "I swear, Evans, you're such a tease sometimes."

╦

"You ready for this?" he asked good-naturedly, nudging her with his elbow.

"Ryan, I've never been more ready for anything in my entire life," she smiled and gripped his arm even tighter.

They stood as the last in line of the wedding procession—the only thing they were waiting for was the music to begin. He watched amusedly as the ring-bearer, 4-year-old Michael Danforth, with hair that snaked out of his head much like his father's, was fussed over by his mother. But as the babble of the guests in the church pews took a decrescendo from noisy jabber to a mere hush, he stopped grinning.

The soft notes of a piano filtered through the room and Ryan recognized the romantic melody immediately. It was a song he had not heard for nearly ten years, but it was impossible to forget. For the second time that day, he reflected on the night at Lava Springs.

Gabriella leaned over and murmured into his ear, "Do you remember this one, Ryan? It's 'Everyday', the song Kelsi wrote for us a really long time ago."

"How could I forget?" he replied softly. His signature smile had returned to his face, but his tone didn't match his countenance.

Thankfully, she hadn't noticed. Instead, she was urging Michael and the flower girl to step forward, the last two to appear before the bride and her companion walked the aisle.

"Okay, it's now or never," she giggled, and together they advanced slowly, as heads turned to acknowledge the lovely bride and the man beside her.

Ryan could only stare straight ahead as cameras around him flashed and he felt the grip of Gabriella's arm grow firmer and firmer, her silky skin grazing against his own. He squeezed back lightly to console her and ease the anxiety, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He watched as Jason and Gabriella's college room mate reached the end of the aisle first, followed by Zeke and Sharpay, and finally Chad and Taylor. With each stride, he felt his heart descend lower into his stomach, until he felt that he would be sick if he took another step. He could only remind himself to broaden his trademark cheerful face and all would go well.

The music was still gracefully playing and the smell of old lady perfume slightly overwhelmed him. He saw Mrs. Montez watching them both anxiously and exchanged an easy smile with her. Time was moving both too slowly and not slow enough.

He observed Troy's affectionate look and wistfully understood that if he honestly was in love with Gabriella, then this was the best thing that he could do for her: hand her off graciously to the one she loved.

Glancing over at the piano, he gave Kelsi a friendly nod and counted the length left between him and Troy. _Ten feet until destiny fulfills itself_, he thought desolately. Finally, he and Gabriella came to a stop. He brought his eyes to meet hers and she took a few more steps towards Troy, still grasping Ryan's arm.

Ryan prepared himself mentally not just to let go of her arm, but to let go of her. But, she turned around hastily and threw her arms around him. For a few seconds, he was surprised, but quickly returned the action. A few "awwwws" emitted from the crowd, but no one heard the words that she spoke to him with a regretful tone, "I'm sorry I never said thank you the first time."

Sincerely, he whispered back, "To see you happy is thanks enough."

Slowly, she released herself from his grip, and as a final goodbye, he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek, a chaste and elegant gesture. Without taking a second look back at Gabriella, he gave Troy a quick handshake and hug, and took his place by Chad as one of Troy's best men.

It was time to let her go--or at least pretend that he had.

Just like the first time.

**Thanks so much for reading! This is the very first fanfic I have ever written, much less posted on this site. I'm kinda just testing the waters with a one shot. I'm thinking about writing a companion piece to this with Ryan dancing the "father/bride" dance with Gabriella, but I don't know...hahaha. I guess I'll see what people's reaction to this is. Anyway, I would love it if you would take the time to review--even if it's to say that it's the worst thing that you have ever read. A flame would probably be a good wake up call for me, right? I hope everyone isn't too out of character... Well, that's all for now. :)**

**Shadowsnatcher7**


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